The tragic killing of eight people at Atlanta area spas on Wednesday, six identified as Asian women, was just the latest incident to escalate tensions among Asian communities regarding a rise in racially-motivated attacks.
According to Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash. 10th District), one of four Korean Americans to be elected to Congress, there needs to be a reckoning on accountability when it comes to hate crimes.
"I think part of the frustration that a lot of us in the Asian community have right now is that these crimes are happening, and there doesn't seem to be an urgency to respond to it," she told Cheddar. "And I think that's why we are being so intentional about speaking out, holding rallies, and making sure that people do not erase us or make us invisible."
Strickland, who is also half Black, said that she's "concerned for the safety of communities of color, in general," particularly after marginalized groups had to be subjected to divisive rhetoric from former President Donald Trump over the past four years.
"Eight people died, and six of them, Asian women. And so there are a lot of elements to this crime that warrant our attention," she said of the March 17 massacre. "This has been going on, again, really since COVID."
Demanding Accountability of People in Power
While forcing a change in people's hearts and minds is not necessarily realistic, Strickland said that she expects some legislation to come down the pipeline to address criminal hate incidents but noted that since most such crimes are heavily local matters, addressing them requires buy-in from the community.
"I would say to people who are in the cities, on the ground, in the neighborhood, stay local, make sure you hold people accountable, and don't let up," she said.
The congresswoman also addressed remarks by Captain Jay Baker, a spokesman for the Cherokee County Sheriff, who described the Atlanta spa shooter as "having a really bad day" prior to the massacre and whose own social media posts came to light, which included images containing anti-Asian rhetoric.
"When these crimes are committed, we don't want to see people in positions of authority or law enforcement, like the sheriff did, making excuses for it," she said.
"We want to send a message that when you commit a hate crime in the United States, regardless of who the victim is, people want accountability. They want there to be consequences and repercussions."
Strickland explained that the Asian community has to continue applying pressure to those in power in order for real solutions to emerge.
"People must feel empowered to speak out and they must feel comfortable speaking out but just speak out if you have something to say," she said.
With so many high-profile court cases taking over the media, from the trial over the murder of Ahmaud Arbery to the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse to the ongoing Elizabeth Holmes trial, Cheddar took a look at these cases and why there is such a big interest in them. Rachel Fiset, a white collar criminal defense lawyer and partner with Zeiback, Fiset, and Coleman, and Bryan Hance, attorney-at-law, professor, and academic program director of the pre-law and paralegal studies program at National University, joined Cheddar for a roundtable discussion on why there is so much public interest in so-called courtroom drama.
2022 is just around the corner and one of the world's most famous trendspotters says that there is a wide-ranging mix of trends coming up in the new year that could impact businesses, culture, and our society at large.
Trendspotter and cultural zeitgeist analyst Marian Salzman, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Spotify has just officially released its 2021 'Wrapped'. For the past few years, the streaming giant has been presenting customers with their listening habits from the prior year, including favorite artists, most listened to the genre, podcasts, songs you name it. However, critics say this method just shows how apps can collect our data. CEO of Prevailion Karim Hijazi, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Recent internal documents obtained by the New York Times reveal how exactly TikTok's algorithm works. The report highlights how the app is mainly focused on retaining two metrics which are retention and time spent. In addition, the document titled, "TikTok Algo 101" details how the algorithm understands human nature from when we get bored to our sensitivity and culture ques. It means the app monitors will kind of videos you like. Professor of Computer Science at the University of California in San Diego Julian McCauley, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
According to a recent study by a group of international researchers, artificial intelligence can predict new illegal drugs before they hit the streets. This method could help save lives and fight crime. Professor of Computing Science at the University of Alberta, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Carlo and Baker discuss the sweeping new vaccine mandate in NYC that will target all private businesses. Plus, Trump's media venture gets its CEO and more.
A lockout is now in place for Major League Baseball. The collective bargaining agreement between the league and players association expired at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday night.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said both sides were unable to negotiate a new contract by that time, so the league locked out the players on Thursday at 12:01 a.m. The lockout also means trades and free agency deals have to stop for now. Dodgers Nation lead editor Clint Pasillas joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The UK-based augmented reality startup, Dent Reality, raised the equivalent of $3.4 million USD in its most recent funding round. Dent Reality has created an AR app for smartphones that helps shoppers navigate retail locations by providing a layout of a store's aisles, while showing where to find specific items. The company works mainly with grocery stores but aims to integrate its tech with all types of physical spaces. Dent Reality CEO Andrew Hart joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
